KAPA‘A — A three-run homer to left field by Chaz Pacleb propelled the Kawaihau Majors All-Stars to the championship of the District 1 Major Little League tournament, Wednesday. The two-strike, three-run shot that dropped in the bush in left-center field
KAPA‘A — A three-run homer to left field by Chaz Pacleb propelled the Kawaihau Majors All-Stars to the championship of the District 1 Major Little League tournament, Wednesday.
The two-strike, three-run shot that dropped in the bush in left-center field broke a 2-2 deadlock and capped a 5-2 win over the Kailua All-Stars at the New Kapa‘a Town Park Main Diamond.
The championship for Kawaihau Majors mirrored the Minors All-Stars District 1 championship, as Kawaihau after dropped its opening game, but battled back to play the undefeated leader twice for the tournament crown.
“It was like I was coaching all over again,” said Mikey Cardinez, the Minors coach who was a spectator at the Wednesday showdown. “With every inning, and every pitch, my heart was pounding.”
Kawaihau Majors relied on both pitching and bats to come from behind to take the title.
Both Kailua and Kawaihau relied heavily on their starting pitchers in the final matchup.
“We only had 13 pitches left going into the (sixth) inning,” said Kennison Nagahisa, head coach for Kawaihau. “But we were almost out of the top four in Kailua’s batting order, so we just squeezed it out.”
Rules dictate that pitchers be held to a specified pitch limit on the mound.
A swinging strikeout that opened the sixth frame was big for Kawaihau as it was No. 4 of the Kailua’s top four hitters.
Keola Lutz picked up the win for Kawaihau on the hill allowing two runs on three hits while striking out seven Kailua batters, including two in the final inning, and giving up two walks.
Noah Auld, suffering the loss for Kailua on the hill, was maxed out after five innings with 85 pitches recorded. The big right-hander finished with five runs allowed on two hits, both home runs, while striking out nine Kawaihau batters and giving up three walks.
Jake Rausch picked up Kawaihau’s first hit in the fourth inning, a two-run homer to the 200-yard mark in center field, scoring Lutz, who got first on an error.
Pacleb’s game-winning shot came in the fifth inning with two outs and two strikes on the catcher, the blast to left-center driving in Kai Harrison, getting first on a fielder’s choice, and Matthew Schmidt, drawing first on a Kailua error.
Lia Tom, labeled the “tiger” by local media, drew the first score of the game in the fourth inning after getting first on an error, and scoring on an RBI play by Cameron Wong.
Auld, singling for the first of three Kailua hits, was left stranded.
Kawaihau answered that 1-0 lead with Rausch’s two-run shot in the bottom only to have Kailua knot the game when Dalton Kalama, getting aboard on a fielder’s choice, scored on an RBI single by Tom in the fifth. Colin Kubota opened the frame with a single, but was forced out on Kalama’s fielder’s choice.
“Kawaihau deserves the win,” said Kailua coach Jerry Bush. “They play hard and should represent District 1 real well at the state tournament.”
After going undefeated through its season, Kailua’s only two losses of the year came in successive days to Kawaihau.
Kawaihau Majors All-Stars, by winning the District 1 championship, will be participating at Barber’s Point on O‘ahu at the state Major Little League tournament starting July 22.
Bob Kawamoto, the tournament director, said Kawaihau hasn’t had a state title since 1990, and a win at the state would advance the community team from Kapa‘a to the regionals in California. A win at the regionals places them in the Little League World Series.
• Dennis Fujimoto, photographer and staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) or dfujimoto@kauaipubco.com.
